As of February 5, 2025, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has initiated a project for constructing a storage battery system using redox flow batteries (final scale: output 4,000 kW, capacity 12,500 kWh) in Ama Town, Oki County, Shimane Prefecture in Japan. [1] This storage battery system is an initiative that three parties – Chugoku Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Co., Inc., Ama Town, and como-gomo. company – have worked on under a subsidy from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment titled “Facility Introduction Support Project for Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in Remote Islands.” Sumitomo Electric plans to contribute to the promotion of carbon neutrality and the enhancement of resilience to disasters in the Oki Islands through the redox flow battery system. The aforementioned three parties will accelerate efforts to realize a decarbonized society in Ama Town through a tripartite public-private partnership. The project will build a next-generation power network that can respond to disasters, including independent power supply operation (microgrid) during emergencies. This initiative is also expected to contribute to renewable energy development in the Oki islands.
[USA] CenterPoint proposes $5.75B system resiliency plan
As of February 4, 2025, CenterPoint Energy filed a $5.75 billion system resiliency plan with the Public Utility Commission of Texas that calls for installing automation devices on power lines serving large numbers of customers, undergrounding more than 50% of its electric system, strengthening 130,000 power poles, raising substations above flood plains, and expanding vegetation management. [1] CenterPoint stated that the proposal is the largest single grid resiliency investment in the company’s history. CenterPoint said the plan builds on its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative that launched after Hurricane Beryl left almost 2.3 million customers in Houston without power in August 2024. In its application, the company noted that it serves a quarter of the load on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system, and its critical customers include the Port of Houston, Texas Medical Center, two airports, and several chemical refineries. CenterPoint’s resiliency plan calls for rebuilding or upgrading more than 2,200 transmission structures, utilizing a three-year vegetation management cycle for transmission and distribution lines, and modernizing 34,500 spans of underground cables. The utility will also improve its existing technology systems and move customer-facing websites from on-premise to cloud-based hosting for better communications.
[1] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings/?ControlNumber=57579
[USA] Senate confirms Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as DOE secretary
As of February 4, 2025, the Senate confirmed Liberty Energy Chairman and CEO Chris Wright to be secretary of the US Department of Energy (DOE). [1] This follows the confirmations of Doug Burgum to be the Interior Department secretary and Lee Zeldin to be the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator. [2] During his confirmation hearing, Wright told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that as DOE secretary, he would try to increase US power supplies to help lower electricity prices. During his confirmation hearing, Wright implied that he intends to pursue multiple different avenues to grow the energy supply in order to drive down the price. Wright stated that as head of DOE, his immediate three priorities would be expanding energy production and cutting energy costs, accelerating the work of the DOE’s national laboratories, and building energy infrastructure. Wright has worked in the oil and gas sector since 1992. Liberty Energy, a publicly traded oil and gas services company based in Denver, is an investor in Fervo Energy, an enhanced geothermal company; Natron Energy, which makes sodium-ion batteries; and Oklo, a small modular reactor company.
[1] https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00030.htm
[USA] US Department of Energy announces selectees for $107 million fusion innovation research engine collaboratives
As of January 16, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $107 million in funding for six projects in the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives and that several privately funded fusion companies have completed early critical-path science and technology (S&T) milestones in the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program (“The Milestone Program”). [1] Both programs are part of DOE’s fusion strategy to accelerate the viability of commercial fusion energy. The FIRE Collaboratives are aimed at creating a fusion energy S&T innovation ecosystem by forming virtually, centrally managed teams called “Collaboratives” that aim to bridge the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program’s basic science research programs with the needs of the growing fusion industry. The total anticipated funding for FIRE collaboratives is $180 million for projects lasting up to four years.
[USA] US tariffs on Chinese batteries could spike prices despite lithium carbonate decline: CEA
As of January 14, 2025, Clean Energy Associates (CEA) stated that batteries imported from China will face tariff levies of 150% if all trade actions now under consideration by the US Congress and executive branch come to pass. [1] As a result, US prices for 5 MWh lithium-ion battery systems made in China could increase by 8% from 2023 to 2028 despite a substantial expected decline in lithium carbonate prices over the same period. There are four separate trade actions under consideration against Chinese battery system storage manufacturers, but CEA suggests that it is unlikely for all of the tariffs to be levied simultaneously. Nevertheless, CEA stated that the trade actions would increase the prices that US buyers pay for imported lithium-ion batteries despite a 69% fall in the lithium carbonate price from 2023 to 2024.
[1] https://info.cea3.com/hubfs/ESS%20PFR/CEA%20Q4%202024%20ESS%20PFR%20Report%20Sample.pdf
[USA] NREL study highlights potential for over 7,700 GW of renewable energy on U.S. federal lands
As of January 14, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with the US Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense, released a study showing that there is significant potential for further expansion of renewable energy production on federal lands. [1] The study finds that onshore federal lands in the contiguous United States could support over 7,700 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity. Researchers found that 51 to 84 GW of renewable energy could be deployed on federal lands by 2035, requiring only half of one percent of total federal land area in the US. That level of deployment by 2035 is enough to provide up to 10% of the reliable, renewable energy needed to reach net-zero emissions in the electricity sector. To understand future renewable energy deployment on federal lands, researchers created seven scenarios with several possibilities. They used a power sector model for each scenario to determine the most cost-effective way to deploy storage, new generation, and transmission nationwide to meet future energy demand. One of the key findings suggests that there is potential for 5,750 GW of utility-scale photovoltaics, 875 GW of land-based wind, 130 GW of hydrothermal, and 975 GW of enhanced geothermal generation on federal lands.
[Japan] JERA and Yamato group sign agreement on renewable energy collaboration for decarbonizing logistics
As of January 8, 2025, JERA announced that it has signed a basic agreement with Yamato Transport related to collaboration on renewable energy equipment and its optimal utilization aimed at achieving decarbonization of logistics. [1] The Yamato Group has the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a 48% reduction in emissions by 2030. Under the basic agreement with Yamato Transport, JERA’s subsidiary JERA Cross, acting as an aggregation coordinator, will support Yamato Energy Management in managing supply and demand operations to maintain a balanced volume of renewable and other energy. Furthermore, tracking renewable energy from electric vehicles and solar power generating equipment used at the sales locations of the Yamato Group is intended to enable more efficient utilization of renewable energy. JERA aims to achieve decarbonization of logistics by supplying the Yamato Group with 24/7 carbon-free energy.
[1] https://www.jera.co.jp/en/news/information/20250108_2103
[USA] President Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling from Atlantic and Pacific coasts
As of January 7, 2025, President Joe Biden announced an executive action to protect over 625 million acres of US coastline areas from future offshore drilling. [1] This includes the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and additional portions of the North Bering Sea in Alaska. President Biden invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives presidents broad authority to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development. To reverse the ban, this law would have to be changed.
[USA] Voltus agrees to pay $18M to settle allegations it violated MISO demand response rules
As of January 7, 2025, according to a settlement approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Voltus agreed to pay a $10.9 million penalty and return $7.1 million in profits to settle allegations that it registered uncontracted and over-stated demand response resources with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Voltus aggregates retail customers to provide MISO with “load-modifying resources.” [1] FERC contends that Voltus CEO Gregg Dixon caused Voltus to register demand response resources with MISO without the owner’s knowledge. Furthermore, they clear load-modifying resource capacity that would not have performed if MISO dispatched the resources from Oct 2006 to June 2020. Around the time when Voltus partook in the 2017/18 planning resource auction, MISO did not require companies like Voltus to show that they had a contractual relationship with the entities providing load-modifying resources they were registering, according to FERC. As part of the settlement, Voltus will file annual compliance monitoring reports to FERC’s enforcement office for two years or longer at the office’s discretion.
[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20250106-3066&optimized=false
[USA] MN8 Energy to own, build, and operate solar project supporting city of Cambridge’s historic VPPA
As of December 17, 2024, MN8 Energy announced that it will own and operate the 135MWac Prairie Solar project in Champaign County, Illinois, which includes 50MWac of capacity dedicated to the City of Cambridge’s groundbreaking virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). [1] The project will support the largest VPPA ever undertaken by a US city. The City of Cambridge’s 50MWac portion will generate 113,000 MWh of clean energy annually, enough to cover the average electricity consumption of over 25,000 households in Cambridge. Boston-based Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. facilitated the City of Cambridge’s transaction through their Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB). The NCZB is a buyer’s community for utility-scale clean energy. The project is located on the MISO grid, where only 32% of energy comes from low-carbon sources. This means it will deliver 2.6 times the emissions reductions compared to equivalent solar generation in Massachusetts. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation by 2026. Cambridge’s 50MWac portion is expected to avoid 70,510 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually by replacing fossil fuel generation.
[USA] US Department of Energy completes LNG study update, announces 60-day comment period
As of December 17, 2024, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released an updated study of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. [1] The study came about because the DOE was given responsibility by Congress via the Natural Gas Act to evaluate the public interest of proposed exports to countries with which the US does not have a Free Trade Agreement. The study will have a 60-day comment period set to begin once published in the Federal Register. The public may submit comments to inform how DOE may apply the study’s findings to its public interest analysis of export applications going forward. In addition to the study release, US Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm released a Secretarial Statement outlining departmental leadership’s perspective on the final version of the study. Given the fact that the US is the largest exporter of LNG in the world and will remain the top exporter by 2030, DOE leadership recognized the need for a comprehensive update to ensure the most updated analysis possible of the market, national security, economic, and environmental considerations of different potential volumes of US LNG exports.
[Japan] Kansai inked agreement with Iberdola for an offshore wind farm project in Germany
As of December 13, 2024, Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co. has taken a 49% stake in Iberdrola’s Windanker offshore wind project in Germany, expanding its partnership with the Spanish renewable energy giant. [1] The wind farm will have an installed capacity of 315 MW and start operating by 2026. The project marks Kansai’s 5th offshore wind farm participation overseas and involves the installation of 21 bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines. The acquisition brings Kansai’s net capacity of overseas generation to 3,007 MW. Kansai aims to collaborate with Iberdrola on more overseas projects in various fields, such as renewable energy, since it is one of the leading energy companies in the renewable energy sector. Kansai’s goal is to use the experience from the project to expand offshore wind power projects in Japan and contribute to a future zero-carbon society.
[1] https://www.kepco.co.jp/english/corporate/pr/2024/pdf/dec13_1.pdf
[Japan] Nuclear reactor at Shimane plant restarts for first time since 2012
As of December 7, 2024, a nuclear reactor in Shimane Prefecture in western Japan has restarted for the first time in 13 years. [1] It is the 14th reactor to be reactivated after meeting Japan’s new requirements that were introduced after the Fukushima Daiichi plant meltdowns. The Chugoku Electric Power Company suspended operations of the No. 2 reactor at the Shimane nuclear power plant in 2012 for regular inspections. The unit passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s screening in 2021. Chugoku Electric completed construction work in October and finished putting in nuclear fuel in November. The utility stated that the reactor reached a self-sustaining chain reaction two hours after the restart, and power generation will commence later in the month. Commercial operations are expected to resume in early January. The Shimane complex in Matsue City is the only nuclear power plant in a Japanese prefectural capital.
[1] https://www.energia.co.jp/atom_info/assets/20241207a_5.pdf
[USA] PSE&G to pay $6.6M for inaccurately reporting need for local PJM transmission project
As of December 6, 2024, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) agreed to pay $6.6 million to settle allegations that it gave the PJM Interconnection misleading information about a $546 million transmission project. [1] This was during the grid operator’s Regional Transmission Expansion plan process, according to the settlement approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC enforcement staff found that PSE&G violated agency rules requiring market participants to provide “accurate and factual information” about the state of power line towers in communications with agency-approved regional transmission organizations. The settlement agreement centers on a $546 million project PSE&G, a Public Service Enterprise Group subsidiary, recommended to PJM in 2017 to replace a transmission line in New Jersey.
[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20241205-3039&optimized=false
[USA] Five-year US load growth forecast surges 456% to 128 GW
As of December 6, 2024, A report by consulting firm Grid Strategies found that US electricity demand could rise 128 GW over the next five years, driven by data centers and manufacturing growth, mainly in six regions. [1] The estimate represents a five-fold increase in load growth forecasts over the past two years. The estimates are based on annual planning reports submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by electric balancing authorities, with updates from utilities and planning regions. FERC Form 714 in 2022 estimated a five-year peak load growth of about 23 GW. A review of utility planning documents indicated that 61 GW could be added to FERC’s 2024 five-year estimates. According to the report, an additional 61 GW of growth means nationwide electric demand is forecast to increase by 15.8% by 2029. Texas added 37 GW to its 2029 forecast, resulting in an updated forecast of 43 GW through 2029. The report also noted that PJM’s 2029 peak load forecast increased from 153.3 GW to 165.7 GW – an 8.1% increase in two years. However, PJM utilities have increased their projections of large load additions for 2029 from 15 GW to 30 GW.
[1] https://gridstrategiesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/National-Load-Growth-Report-2024.pdf
[USA] Small volumes of renewable diesel are now consumed on the U.S. East Coast
As of December 3, 2024, the US Energy Information Administration noted that the US East Coast became a recurring destination for small volumes of renewable diesel as a few suppliers began offering or consuming it. [1] Since it is not produced on the East Coast, suppliers and local governments are procuring their supply from imports and interregional US shipments. Renewable diesel is used for transportation and heating as a chemical equivalent to petroleum-based distillate, and it is produced using fats, oils, and greases rather than petroleum. It is primarily consumed on the West Coast because California, Oregon, and Washington are the only states with active clean fuel programs. However, small volumes of renewable diesel are now being consumed in other regions like the East Coast. In each of the five recent months with historical data (May – September), consumption of renewable diesel has superseded the previous record high, ranging from 5,000 barrels per day (b/d) to 7,000 b/d. The increase in the consumption of this fuel in the East Coast is attributable to certain suppliers and local governments, including Sprague, Neste, and Global Partners.
[Japan] Japan’s first commercial use of electricity generated with hydrogen-fired zero-emissions thermal
As of November 29, 2024, Toho Co., Ltd. And JERA Co., Inc. are pursuing efforts to eliminate CO2 emissions from electricity consumed at Toho Studios, Japan’s largest movie studio. [1] JERA has begun supplying hydrogen-generated power to Toho Studios through its subsidiary JERA Cross. This is Japan’s first commercial use of electricity generated with hydrogen-fired zero-emissions thermal. JERA has been moving forward with the construction of an on-site hydrogen power generation facility at Sodegaura Thermal Power Station in Chiba. With the recent conclusion of construction and testing, JERA Cross has begun supplying off-site electricity to Toho Studios, where commercial use of electricity generated with hydrogen-fired zero-emission thermal began on November 29, 2024. Toho Studios has also introduced electricity sourced from JERA solar power generation facilities and aims to supply all its electricity needs with 24/7 carbon-free energy going forward.
[1] https://www.jera.co.jp/en/news/information/20241129_2071
[USA] LPO announces conditional commitment to StarPlus Energy to construct lithium-ion battery factories in Indiana
As of December 2, 2024, the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment for a loan of $7.54 billion to StarPlus Energy LLC to finance up to two lithium-ion battery cell and module manufacturing plants in Kokomo, Indiana. [1] The borrower is a joint venture between FCA US LLC (a subsidiary of Stellantis N.V.) and Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. The output from the facilities will be sold to Stellantis for use in electric vehicle models that will be sold in North America, with the goal of ensuring that the US can meet domestic demand and maintain its leadership in the electric vehicle industry. At full capacity, the StarPlus project will produce 67GWh of batteries, enough to supply 670,000 vehicles annually. The DOE estimates that the EVs produced using StarPlus batteries will displace the usage of 260.3 million gallons of petroleum per year.
The project is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to onshore and re-shore domestic manufacturing technologies. If finalized, the loan would be offered through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program, which provides loans to support US manufacturing of advanced technology vehicles, qualifying components, and materials that improve fuel economy.
[USA] I&M and stakeholders file large load settlement to advance grid reliability and support economic growth
As of November 22, 2024, Indiana Michigan Power, an American Electric Power (AEP) utility, filed a joint settlement with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, the Citizens Action Coalition (CAC), and the Data Center Coalition, outlining the terms for connecting new large loads to the grid. [1] The settlement with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission requires new large-load customers, such as data centers, to make long-term financial commitments to ensure they pay for the costs to serve them and that those costs are not passed on to existing customers.
The agreement comes amid rapid data center development in Northern Indiana. Amazon Web Services made progress on an $11 billion data center campus near New Carlisle, Indiana, and Google was building a $2 billion data center in Fort Wayne. The settlement recognizes the energy needs of new large customers and proposes additional commitments that the customers must meet when establishing electric service. Furthermore, the companies that are signatories to the joint settlement – AWS, Microsoft, and Google – have each agreed to provide an annual contribution of $500,00 for five years to the Indiana Community Action Association.
[Japan] Nimbus and Toshiba announce joint development of next-generation pure hydrogen fuel cell stack
As of November 21, 2024, Nimbus Power Systems (Groton, Connecticut, USA) and Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions Corporation (Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan) have signed a joint development agreement for a next-generation pure hydrogen fuel cell stack. [1] It is applicable to various mobility applications, like buses and trucks, as well as stationary uses. Under the agreement, Nimbus will combine its “four-fluid stack technology” with Toshiba’s “fuel cell commercialization and mass production technology” to jointly develop the pure hydrogen fuel cell stack. Nimbus has fuel cell technology aimed at large mobility applications. The “four-fluid stack technology” combines porous and metal separators to supply four fluids: hydrogen, air, pure water, and antifreeze, enabling stable operation at high output. Meanwhile, Toshiba has experience manufacturing fuel cells and possesses commercialization and mass production capabilities using porous separators. Nimbus and Toshiba aim to contribute to the expansion of the hydrogen value chain and decarbonization.
[1] https://www.global.toshiba/ww/news/energy/2024/11/news-20241121-01.html